SMARTGREEN URBANISM: Ahmedabad City's Perspective

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SMARTGREEN URBANISM: Ahmedabad City’s Perspective

Arnab Sen1 and Prerona Mukherjee2 1,2Architect, Urban & Regional planner CEPT UNIVERSITY Kasturbhai Lalbhai Campus, University Road, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380009 E-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Abstract—This research aims at understanding the significance of • Cities that facilitate and encourage more sustainable, green spaces in the city we need to identify the three types of spaces healthful lifestyles. which are primarily Lakes, waste lands or scrub lands and urban agriculture. These help in a number of ways like flood control or • Cities that emphasize a high quality of life and the even draught, improving the environment and also the quality of life. creation of highly livable neighborhoods and The existing green spaces are also to be looked into for conservation communities. and up-gradation along with the understanding of the eco system. For Re-establishing the concept of green spaces development and . The world is fast moving towards being urban where more management, with greater dependence on smart local community than 50% of the world population will be living in the so participation, with concern on the livability of local environments, a called urban areas where the people will have all the greater emphasis on creating public spaces for people is required to infrastructure and facilities. These urban spaces are growing enjoy the city of the future, to be sustainable. without any discretion and forms. In this respect the old 1. INTRODUCTION heritage cities or places which were also dense in the built form are losing their identity and the heritage is at stake. The Green Urbanism as can be perceived from the terms relates the more people pour in in these places the more pressure is green of the city, town or even the local community with the created on the infrastructure and the Quality of living and in urbanizing effects. Beatley, in his revolutionary book ‘Green turn the sustainability of these cities or towns is at stake. More Urbanism: learning from European cities’ has mentioned that pressure is on the environment to survive as the ever the vision of green urbanism includes the programs, policies increasing trend of urbanization is eating up the eco system. and creative design ideas for urban renewal and environment All these leads to the development of a more holistic and sustainability. According to Beatley, cities that exemplify sustainable approach to the urban planning which leads to the green urbanism are: concept of Green Urbanism or Eco-Cities, these are smart, sustainable and secure which fits into today’s context of India • Cities that strive to live within their ecological limits, where The Prime Minister of India proposed the making of fundamentally reduce their ecological footprints, and 100 smart cities, out of which most of them will be brownfield acknowledge their connections with and impacts on other development which makes the project even more challenging. cities and communities and the larger planet. With increasing population and area comes the problem of • Cities that are green and that are designed for and pollution, infrastructure, sustainability, public transport, function in ways analogous to nature. renewal energy, green and open spaces.. Green Network is focused on four dimensions: environment, health promotion, • Cities that strive to achieve a circular rather that a linear metabolism, which nurtures and develops positive social commitment and occupational health and safety. symbiotic relationships with and between its hinterland Greenbelts make cities more livable, affordable and transit- (whether that be regional, national, or international). friendly. Cities need to make their energy smarter: more efficient, reliable and green. • Cities that strive toward local and regional self- The open spaces may it be green or blue (lakes, ponds, etc.) sufficiency and take full advantage of and nurture are being encroached and built upon. This is hampering the local/regional food production, economy, power environment and has to be addressed in a more holistic way to production, and many other activities that sustain and improve the quality of living. support their populations.

8th International Conference On Recent Advances in “Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environmental Engineering for Sustainable Development”—ISBN: 978-81-930585-7-2 42 SMARTGREEN URBANISM: Ahmedabad City’s Perspective 43

Creating green is the call of the hour which may be addressed can cater to reduce temperature, encourage walking or even by terrace garden or creating the green spaces along the roads bicycling, acts as a screener for storms or winds, provides where bioswales can also be added to cater to the storm water shades, increases the aesthetic value of the place and in turn during the monsoons. The lakes can be developed into large adds to economy generation, recharges ground water and also green pouches which go along with the nature and creating binds the soil so that the soil is not lost or even stops inclusive places. Networking these green spaces which is in landslides, food is also produced, cuts off noise and acts as accordance to the heritage of the place adds to the value. noise screener, cuts off ultra violet rays, purifies the air and gives fresh air to breath, improves health of people and 2. BENEFITS AND TYPES OF OPEN SPACE absorbs greenhouse gases .

4. AHMEDABAD CITY ANALYSIS

Ahmedabad is having an area of 464 sq. meters and located at an altitude of 49 meters. The climate is hot and dry type. The old city which is walled city was the old Ahmedabad but its ever increasing facade is reaching the villages now. A number of people co-exist here who belongs to different religion, caste and creed. They are losing the sense of place because of urbanization. The city is fast urbanizing as is evident from the increasing municipal area. The sub urban have been recently taken into the municipal area. But the major concern which lies is the ever decreasing green spaces. The people are losing their share of openness.The overall condition of Ahmedabad is depleting in terms of green open spaces. Though there are a few mill lands lying vacant but those have not been developed into something like inclusive playscape. The roads are full of private vehicles and trees are less. The lack of community level parks is easily noticed. The lakes for which Ahmedabad was previously known are getting extinct in the hands of Urbanization. In 2001 there were 137 lakes but there are only 72 lakes left now. Some of being encroached others being built upon, which happened due to the lack of regulation and awareness. The social Inclusion is also hampered because of the lack of spaces where people can interact or feel equal. The reduction in green cover also gives rise to the increased carbon footprint. The proposed DMIC corridor passes through Ahmedabad which makes it at high potential for environmental hazard but also have a potential of increase in economy. List of Initiative taken by various agencies for Enhancement of Urban Green Spaces. Initiative Issue Initiatives taken by Lack of tree cover or canopy Canopy Plantation -A Livelihood within city. Enhancement Programme with Forest State 3. METHODS/ IDEAS Scheme of Conservation. Purpose & priorities of Government motivating the initiative strengthening the people Initiative A sustainable green city is primarily based on the pillars of prizes for forestry linkages. urban planning and transport, water and biodiversity, energy tree and materials and socio-cultural features. And for creating a plantation. smart city the major components that are to be considered are Smart living, Smart people, Smart energy, Smart mobility, Smart environment, Smart economy and smart governance. The green adds to the locality in a number of ways whose catchment is even broader then imaginable. The green spaces

There are about 100 parks in the city • Materials used for construction has to be reviewed so that of Ahmedabad. Private agencies like it dosent harm the environment Mother Dairy, Amul and Dairy Den Maintenance work on leasehold basis with the Private At present, AMC and AUDA manage parks and open spaces of existing Corporation for the development and Agencies within their respective jurisdiction. AMC has a dedicated Parks maintenance of these parks. In turn, Initiatives parks and gardens department which looks into the they grim through their profit margins implementation and maintenance of parks within its from advertisements and sale of their administrative boundaries. AUDA has environment products. department that does the implementation within its For its 60 lakh citizens, the city has only 6.17 lakh trees. Number of trees administrative boundaries. Maintenance of existing parks and in the city increased from 3.48 lakh in open spaces is as important as increasing provision of new 2005, to 6.17 lakh primarily due to the parks and open spaces. Broadly, some of existing parks and Identifying inclusion of new areas within city open spaces are in need of up gradation / refurbishment. statistics of limits. Central zone with areas like Ideally, a quality audit should be carried out for each tree through Jamalpur, Kalupur, Madhupura, Initiative by Individual Park and open space to correctly assess the Tree Census. Girdharnagar, Dudheshwar, has the AMC usability of this amenity. Presently, AMC has dedicated ( 1 tree for least number of trees at 30,584. Zone funding allocated for maintenance of parks and open spaces each 9 wise no. of trees West Zone – 1.12 within its administrative boundaries. AUDA has no dedicated Amdawadi’s) lakh South Zone – 1.05 lakh North Zone – 86,524 East Zone – 85,858 funding allocated for the implementation and maintenance of Rapidly turning into a construction parks and open spaces within its boundaries. AUDA has jungle, needs around 24 lakh trees to formed partnerships with the private sector for the get 15% green cover, says (AMC) implementation and maintenance of parks and open spaces Ahmedabad: Synthetic trees insertion within its boundaries. Lack of trees in Industrial area a invention by club as a Buffer Initiative by of Gujarat Science City .Gujarat, 5. CASE STUDIES zone in club of which is industrially advanced, needs Industrial Gujarat synthetic trees to increase the oxygen Case Study: BANSIDHAR GARDEN, VASNA, Premises of Science level in its polluted cities. These 'trees' Ahmedabad Ahmedabad City absorb carbon 1,000 times faster and City. release oxygen. Bansidhar garden measuring 5 acres is situated on final plot Sabarmati River Front Development: no. 226+227 of Town Planning Scheme no. 22 (Vasna-south). The Riverfront Development reclaims The area included in Town Planning Scheme no. 22 is on the To increase the banks of the Sabarmati, making the western bank of river Sabarmati in the southern part of west per capita entire stretch of river publicly zone of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. The plot of green space accessible. Land reclaimed by Initiative Bansidhar Garden is surrounded by totally residential for riverfront development will largely be By AMC development of higher middle class to higher class. This area Ahmedabad allocated for free and open public use; Citizen by 3 more than 85% of riverfront land will is developed as a exclusive residential pocket since last twenty sq.m./ person become public infrastructure, to twenty five years. The plot for the garden is rectangular in recreational parks, sports facilities, and shape with T.P. Roads on east and west. Its northern and vast new gardens. southern boundary shared by residential societies.

Development of the garden The city can be revived in terms of green by implementing the following and hence move Ahmedabad towards being smart: The Parks and Garden Department, AMC have developed Bansidhar Garden before fifteen years. As there is no • Planting trees along the roads and making it mandatory. Involvement of communities for maintainence can also be landscape designer or Architect in the department; senior promoted officers of the department have prepared the design of the Bansidhar Garden like in the case of all gardens developed by • Small size trees in the road dividers to cut off noise and department. In 1997-98, the boundaries along the roads on decrease pollution and addition of bio swells to purify north and south were renovated by constructing compound storm water and directing them to lakes will be an added wall up to the height of two feet from the ground level and advantage. fixing chain-link fencing on the compound wall. The aim of providing chain-link fencing was to offer a picturesque view • Making it mandatory to plant trees in every open spaces of garden from the outside. Also the inner part of the garden be it parking or space between two buildings redeveloped by dividing the plot in six parts. Earlier it was • Where space is not available roof top gardening has to be divided in more than fifteen smaller pieces, which was carried out creating difficulties in cutting the lawn by machine. The main entrance of the garden is in the middle of the eastern

8th International Conference On Recent Advances in “Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environmental Engineering for Sustainable Development”—ISBN: 978-81-930585-7-2 44 SMARTGREEN URBANISM: Ahmedabad City’s Perspective 45

boundary. There is also one wicket gate on the rear boundary, • It provides opportunities for socializing, to relax, to play so that visitors can enter from both the sides of the garden. and to keep fit by jogging and Yoga to hundreds of people About ten meter wide strip along the side boundary is kept for from its surrounding. the afforestation in which half of the plot is provided for children‘s playing equipments. A beautiful water fountain • It was maintained by annual maintenance contract. surrounded by attractive flowering plants is constructed in the 6. LESSONS LEARNT middle of the central lawn plot. A jogging track has also been provided along the periphery of the central lawn area. Due to • The initiative of contract system for the maintenance of decay of the old playing equipments, new playing equipments gardens can give good result where human resources are for children are installed in the play area. A nice sitting inadequate. platform covered by R.C.C slab (gazebo) is constructed in the central part of the garden, in which cement concrete benches • The activities being carried on contract basis, ULBs can are provided. Earlier water was directly supplied from the monitor the process strictly and terminate the contract if nearby tube well station. The supply of water was inadequate. the work carried out is not satisfactorily. Recently before two months new bore was constructed in the • Contract system requires strict monitoring to achieve garden, which provide water supply to the garden. A drinking better results. water stand at the left of the entrance gate has also been constructed in the garden recently from the budget allocated Case Study: ASHWINI PARK, BODAKDEV, Ahmedabad by local MLA. Some seating benches are also provided from the budget of Councilor and MLA. There are four gardener Ashwini Park is situated on final plot no. 260 of Town and labourers in the garden for the maintenance of the garden. Planning Scheme Bodakdev no. 1/B. The area of Ashwini Security is provided round the clock for the safety and security Park is 3873 sq.mt. Town planning Scheme Bodakdev no. 1/B of the visitors as well as playing equipments, plants and other covers the area on east of Sarkhej !Gandhinagar Highway furniture of the garden. surrounded by Town Planning Scheme Vejalpur no. 6 on south, Town Planning Scheme Vastrapur no. 1 on east and RESULTS ACHIEVED Town Planning Scheme Thaltej no. 2 on north. The surrounding area of Ashwini Park is developed almost as a • It has been emerged as a getaway for the people living residential area of upper middle class to upper class people. It nearby yearning to get a good place for relaxation and is on the junction of 12 mt. wide T.P.Scheme roads. recreation. • Though there are some issues towards the maintenance Strategies adopted and under development of the garden, it caters to For the day-to-day maintenance of plantation and landscaping hundreds of children, health conscious people and elders of the garden, along with regular watering, security of the park for jogging, yoga and laughing exercise in the morning and maintaining healthy environment in the park, AUDA has and recreational, leisure and playing activities in the made the agreement for partnership in September 2002 with evening. leading co-operative organisation Mother Dairy (AMUL) for • It is mostly used by the people from the surrounding the maintenance of 25 gardens situated at different location in residential societies and they feel as a garden in their AUDA area. Ashwini Park is one of these 25 gardens courtyard. maintained by Mother Dairy. Salient features of the contract LESSONS LEARNT according to the agreement are:

• Municipal Corporation can provide good garden on its Sustainability own. In order to sustain the garden maintenance, the Mother Dairy • If Municipal Corporation can bring fund from the budget was desirous of constructing a booth within the garden plot to of Councilor, MLA or MP that can be helpful in the store and sell whole range of products being marketed by provision of additional facilities in the garden. them, from this Booth. To support the financial viability of the garden maintenance, AUDA agreed to permit Mother Dairy to • Without involvement of architect or landscape designer it construct a Booth in the garden at a place mutually decided is difficult to achieve better result in the field of garden and agreed upon by both the parties for storing and selling the designing, which is very important in the present context. products from this Booth. Case Study: CHANDRASHEKHAR AZAD GARDEN, Ownership Rights Ahmedabad RESULTS ACHIEVED Mother Dairy is permitted access to the garden plot for the • Since its formation this garden is extensively used by purpose of beautifying & maintaining the garden and using it different groups of people. for storing & selling their products from the booth in the garden to the public. This permission does not create any

tenancy or proprietary rights or any other interest in the are 6.00 am morning to 9.00 pm night, with recess time garden, which remains continue to be of the exclusive between 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm. ownership, control and possession of the AUDA. Legal aspect Duration Mother Dairy has to ensure compliance with all requirements The duration of partnership is for five years. At the end of the of law and also with the agreement. They should take proper fifth year, the same can be extended, if mutually agreed. safety precautions for the use of facility or any other service provided in the garden. If Mother Dairy wants to get relieved Approval and construction of kiosk of the responsibility of maintenance of garden, it will have to Mother Dairy submitted a detailed plan of kiosk to AUDA for submit notice, three months prior to the date of stopping the the approval and they are responsible for the complete work of maintenance of garden. If at any point of time, AUDA construction of the kiosk. They are not allowed to do any sort comes to the conclusion that there is a breach of the agreement of construction within the garden without approval of the or that for any other reason, it is expeditious in public interest Chief Executive Authority, AUDA. For the purpose of to revoke the arrangement, it will be entitled to do so without implementing the plan, Mother Dairy can take financial and paying any compensation whatsoever to the Mother Dairy. In administrative support from other persons and also employ case of legal dispute arising between AUDA and Mother experts for implementing the same. However, AUDA holds Dairy, Ahmedabad is the jurisdiction. the Mother Dairy responsible for the compliance of agreement RESULTS ACHIEVED and all such action by other persons is the exclusive responsibility of the Mother Dairy. • The innovative model of such type of partnership for the maintenance of public gardens has been proven effective Maintenance of garden in AUDA area. Mother Dairy is exclusively responsible for the construction of • Residents of Bodakdev area get the beautiful well- Milk Booth and maintenance of the garden and they have to maintained gardens in their neighborhood. bear all the capital and recurring expenses as may be required. They have to manage for supply of water & electricity for LESSONS LEARNT maintenance of the garden. Protection and maintenance of all the above facilities in the garden is the sole responsibility of • Maintenance of public gardens can be sustainable with the Mother Dairy. Mother Dairy has to ensure that the garden such type of partnership model. is improved both in visual terms as well as agronomical / • ULB can minimize recurring expenditure for the horticulture terms. They have to ensure that the quality of maintenance of public gardens through public-private grass in the garden is upgraded and it is well groomed. The partnership approach. hedges have to be maintained in a symmetrical well-defined manner. The flowerbeds have to be properly maintained and • ULB can act as facilitator for the maintenance of public good quality seasonable flower plants are to be grown and gardens. landscape of the garden as well as the walkways are to be improved, as also the landscape sitting arrangement within the 7. SMART CITIES garden. The garden should be kept spotlessly clean and should Smart cities can actually come in three flavors: have the provision of adequate number of litterbins. Modern infrastructure for substituting flow irrigation with sprinkler 1. New Cities Built Smart from the irrigation should also be introduced in a phase manner to Start(Greenfield):LikeSongdo in South Korea or Masdar ensure economy in energy cost in water consumption and City in AbuDhabi, these are purpose-built, designed to maximizing productivity. The basic idea is to ensure that the attract businesses and residents with a master plan that aesthetic as well as the ambience inside the garden get uses IT systems to deliver world-class services. upgraded and garden become an extremely beautiful and nice 2. Existing Cities with Retrofits and place for the citizen of Ahmedabad to come, shop, relax and Upgrades(Brownfield):Cities like Manchester, U.K., and enjoy. AUDA intends to develop this project to promote Monterrey, Mexico, are using technology-based environment, development activities and increase recreational initiatives to create new economic opportunities, improve facilities for children and common mass. AUDA has provided education and ultimately retain and retrain their a small level amusement park for children as a part of garden populations. development. Mother Dairy has to maintain the same including repairing whenever require as well as coloring every 3. 'Non-Cities': Non-cities can be campuses, company towns year. Mother Dairy has to ensure that the garden is open to the and even amusement parks. The Saudi Aramco national entire public during its visiting hours without any oil company, for example, provides extensive services to discrimination of cast, creed and religion. The visiting hours

8th International Conference On Recent Advances in “Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environmental Engineering for Sustainable Development”—ISBN: 978-81-930585-7-2 46 SMARTGREEN URBANISM: Ahmedabad City’s Perspective 47

its 350,000 employees, including public safety, education and healthcare.

8. CONCLUSION

Quality of Life of Ahmedabad city can be Improved to more livable and environment friendly along with inclusive and sustainability in mind. Ahmedabad may revive as a green city where the rush for building might consider the foremost need of greeneries at every available nook and corner of the city, where buildings could be mimicked as pavilions in a garden. Moreover the latest trend of being enlisted in the smart city list also pushes the boundaries to build another model of smart city where the prospect is on green urbanism, thus not only on the IT sector but also taking the nature along. The greenery- based conceptual model with green urbanism thus can be implemented to secure a healthy sustainable future for the urban populations of Ahmedabad as well as other cities in Gujarat and can be extended to whole of India. BIBLIOGRAPHY

[1] Research Paper Urban green space, public health, and environmental justice: The challenge of making cities ‘just green enough’ Jennifer R. Wolcha, , Jason Byrneb, Joshua P. Newellc [2] Transformation of Urban Open Spaces of Lahore: From Charing Cross to Faisal Square N. Naz∗ and Z. Ashraf [3] URBAN FORESTS AND OPEN GREEN SPACES: Lessons For Jaipur, Rajasthan, India; VijaiShanker Singh, Deep Narayan Pandey, PradeepChaudhry [4] The Role of Urban Green Spaces for The Sustainable City, Jammu (J&K), University of Jammu, Department of Environmental Sciences

8th International Conference On Recent Advances in “Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environmental Engineering for Sustainable Development”—ISBN: 978-81-930585-7-2 47